Close, but no cigare

Banque Populaire pipped to the post at the Equator by 'virtual Groupama 3'

This morning at 05:56, Pascal Bidégorry and the crew of Banque Populaire crossed the Equator but sadly were just outside of Groupama 3's record. Their elapsed time to the Equator, since starting off Ushant, was just 5 days 17 hours 44 minutes and 15 seconds. During their attempt in 2009, Groupama 3 set the present record of 5 days 15 hours and 23 minutes.

When she crossed the Equator Banque Populaire V had covered 3,575 nautical miles at an average speed of 25.9 knots.

Crossing the Doldrums and into the South Atlantic, Banque Populaire V has been having a tough time. At one point yesterday morning her speed had dropped to less than a knot - something you don't often see on 40m trimarans, which typically generate their own wind - and for most of yesterday she was failing to make 15 knots as 'virtual Groupama 3' was steaming up from astern, briefing reclaiming the lead for four hours over midnight.

Since then Banque Populaire is back in the breeze and averaging in the low to mid-20s and has once again pulled ahead of her green rival in easterly trade winds.

Remarkably, considering the torrid week of so the Barcelona World Race fleet spent there, the South Atlantic is currently behaving itself with the high reasonably central, albeit a little further south than Banque Populaire's routers would like. Unfortunately this isn't going to last and there are going to get nailed by an area of high pressure during Sunday and Monday. However there is some good news in that with the main area of high pressure slinking off to the east, this allows as Southern Ocean depression to extend its reach up to 30degS and as soon as Banque Populaire hooks into this - she'll be off.